Jenzandia
Jenzandia, Djenzandiyah or Djanzandiyah an ancient fabled city or land that is said to be located by the Arabian Sea. It was the legendary homeland of Sultan al-Sharah and his Golden Palace of Riches. History Throughout history, Jenzandia was mentioned in many accounts stemming from legendary to mythical origins. Also recorded evidence of this mysterious land was found in Ancient Egypt and Classical Greece. Many writers of the time described it as "a land of riches and culture" even though it was just a foreign country. Many conquerors and emperors wanted to make Jenzandia their own province however failed due to the lack of resources and men for their armies. Antiquity During the height of great empires and city-states of Egypt and Greece, the stories of Jenzandia were common among the populace. Many great stories about a vast kingdom became frequent in the lives of the citizens and the rulers. The Egyptian Empire wanted to trade with Jenzandia so they sent many ships to the supposed location and were never heard from again. Ancient Egypt Jenzandia was mentioned in Ancient Egypt as "Land of Where the Sea Begins" this legendary land was thought to have been an epithet of a place of splendor and hoards of treasures. Ancient Greece The Greeks heard stories of a huge city that was located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea and also it was named Isles of Wealth by ancient mariners. Medieval The earliest medieval accounts of Jenzandia were recorded in the 3rd century by traveling people who incidentally discovered the supposed location by chance. Also, the King of Jenzandia told the people not to mention the way to his realm after leaving. This was an ongoing theme of every encounter with an isolated country. Until 450 A.D. when the name started to appear on the maps and still nobody was able to find out the exact location of Jenzandia. Origins The name Djenzandiyah appears on early maps however this could have been an alternate form of Jenzandia. Also, another theory states that it could be a name for an ancient kingdom from Roman accounts. Nobody knows where the kingdom is located to this day and also thought to be a mythical place. People The Jenzandian people were said to be a mixture of the local population. This is an early account of their description from an unknown Greek historian of the 4th century: "The people of Jenzandia were of the deserts and lived a nomadic life ...Their skin was the color of golden sand and the eyes darkened as coals...As for their hair, it was a dark and reddish-brown color ...Also, the stature was just a bit smaller than that of a common man...The women dressed in vibrant colored garments with jewels and coins dangling from golden chains...As for the men they dressed in purple and green clothes and hats made of reeds from the many rivers of Jenzandia...The children were also dressed in the same garments and spend time attending to the many flocks of sheep..." Many anthropologists and ethnographers thought that the Jenzandians were of Arabian and European origins. Possibly the description of the people in Jenzandia was based on personal accounts of ancient writers and explorers of the time. Society Jenzandia was thought to have been a kingdom of some sort or perhaps a patriarchal society ran by a king. However, this is still being debated to this day. In a manuscript dating from the 16th century was found in a library located in Venice, Italy described the following: "In the East, there is a land ruled by a King of many people...They called him Father of All Nations and rules with the hand of fairness and might of a thousand lions...His palaces were built in gilded bricks and had silver pillars sent from foreign countries..." Legendary Rulers The rulers of Jenzandia were recorded in the early manuscripts and codices as early as 500 B.C. to the late 17th century during the Age of Discovery. A manuscript describing the attire of the Kings and rulers of this legendary land was found in in the 19th century during archaeological excavations: "The King of Djenzand wore elaborate golden clothing and a fiery crown with glorious designs of animals and plants embedded in a geometric pattern..." Category:Mythical lands Category:Lost civilizations